Apparatus for handling concrete-pipe sections.



J. O. MITCHELL & C. MERIWBTHER. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GONGRETEPIPE SECTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.10.1909,

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

496N1 1 Half M m M m M UNITED STATES PATENT oFmoE.

JOEE .CQIITGHELL, OF NEWPORT NEWS, VIEGINLL AND COLEMAN II IEBIWETH IER, OF IONTGLAI'B, NEW JEBSEY, ASSIGNOBS TO LOCK JOINT PIPE comm, OF NEW YORK, 11. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GONCRETE-IIPE SECTIONS.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J 01m C. MITCHELL and COLEMAN Mnmwn'rnnu, citizens of the United States, and residing at, respectively, 5 Newport News, county of Warwick, and State of Vir 'n'ia, and Montclair, county of Essex, and tate of hlew Jcrsey, have invented certain newhnd useful Improvements in Apparatus for Handling Concrete- Pipe Sections, of which the following is a.

full, clear, and exact description.

In the manufacture of concrete pipe-sections it is the universal custom to mold the sections in the upright position, that is, with the axis of the section vertical. This means that after the side portions of the mold have been removed the entire section must be lifted-to detach it, from the bottom of the mold, after which the section must be shifted laterally, clear of the mold-bottom, to

' rmit another section to be cast.

'ndling of the sections is troublesome, and in the case of large and heavy sections is s also exceedingly laborious. We have therefore been led to deviseuoufpresent invention, which has'forits chief object to provide simple andefi'ective apparatus by which even-the heaviest and most unwieldy pipescctions can be handled easily and expeditiously. To this and other ends the invention resides in the novel features and combinations of elements hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

.The nature ofthe invention will be readily perceived from a more or less detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, in connection with the accoinpai iying 'drawing in which such embodiment is illus- Referring .now tc the drawing, which shows the apparatus in perspective, 1 designates a frame work or derrick, preferably of general pyramidal form, built of timber or 4 metallic members, as desired, and having one or two sides open for some distance from the ground, as shown; At the top of the der-- rick is a pulley block (not shown) from which hangs a block 2. Suspended from Q the latter is a horizontal-lifting-beam 3, connected by its center to said block 2. Pulleys 4, 5, are secured to the liftingheam in any Convenient manner, the distance between the Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 10, 1900. Serial No. 488,219.

7 that the This around the pipe, it is clear that the side of Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

pulleys being about equal to the outside diameter of the pipe to be handled. 5i

Partially encircling the concrete pipe section 6 iso flexible metal strip or gripping band 7, of a length sufiicient to extend a little. more than half way around the pipe section. This band has its ends reduced in width and bent backwardly in the form of hooks, as shown at 8, and mounted in each hook is a pulley, oneof which is shown at 9, the pro ortions of the parts being. such istance from pulley to pulley, measured on the band, is slightly greater than the semi-circumference of the pipe section.

Kissing through the pulleys on the gripping band and the lifting beam is a cable or rope 10, having its ends secured together and constituting in effect a continuation of the gripping band. v

The 0 eration of the apparatus will now be readi y understood. Assuming that the pipe section is resting on the mold-bottom 11, the band 7 and cable 10 are arranged in the manner shown in the drawing, the grip ping band being suspended from the top of the pipe section by means of hangers 12 provided with hooks 13 which engage-the upper edge of the section. The lifting beam is now raised, with the resultthat the cable 10 is shortened between the ends of the band, I

thereby gripping the pipe section firmly and causing the band to do the same. The bight of the cable is inclined downwardly, as shown, being maintained in that position by the friction of the rough surface of the concrete pipe, and hence exerts its pull downwardly, as well as circumferenti'ally, on the grippin band, so that there is no tendency of the latter to slip off the section. The pipe is thus tightly gras ed by the band and cable, and continued li ting of the beam 3 therefore raises the section, as shown, 01f the mold bottom. Or, if the latter should stick, it'can be easily knocked off. Since the pul= leys on the gripping band lie more than way the section engaged by fhe'sband will tend to fall, making thesetion turn on the pul--- leys as pivots: "The excess of weight on the band side is only sli ht, however, and can easily be counteracte by a, single workman so as to keep the pipe about level. When" 1 large as seven l'eet in inside diameter and 1 cle more than and connected with the hoisting mccnanism,

' pipe sections,

zontally tnrned horizontally,

Q haspfis free from the mold bottom the section. is if necessary, to bring the heavier side opposite an open side of the derrick, after which the heavier sideis allowed to fall and the whole gently lowered, leaving the section resting on its side; It can then be disengaged from the handling apparatus and rolled away, leaving the space clear.

The apparatus oughly successful ing able to handle beam.

3. In an apparatus tally arranged lifting beam, pulleys at the ends thereof, means for raising and lowering the lifting beam, an

band adapted to encircle more than half the hasbeen found to be thorin practice, two men hewithdespatch sections as dled,pulleys'carried by the ends of the griping band, and an endless cable passing under the pulleys on the gripping band and over the pulleys on the lifting beam.

l. Inan apparatus for handling concrete pipe sections, the combination of a gripping band comprising a metal strip having hooks at its ends, pulleys journaled in said hooks, a hoisting device, and a cable passing under the said pulleys and connected with the hoisting device.

5. In an apparatus for handling concrete pipe sections, the combination of an areshaped gripping band having pulleys at its ends, means for suspending the gripping band on a pi c section, a cable passing under the" said pu leys as a continuation of the weighing a ten or more.

It is to be understood that the embodiment. herein specifically illustrated and described is merely the preferred form of the invention, and may be modified in its details of construction without departure from ,the proper spirit and scope of the invention as. defined by the appended claims.

What we claim is: is

1. In an apparatus for handling concrete pipe sections, the combination of a derrick, a hoisting device suspended therefrom, an arc-shaped gripping band adapted to encirhali' the circumference of the pine section to be handled, pulleys carried hoisting means connected with the cable.

circumference of the pipe section. to behan ping band and connected with the k for handling concrete A pipe sections, the combination of a hor zon;

arc-shaped. gripping gripping band to encircle a pipe section, and

by the ends of the gripping band, and a 6. In an apparatus for 'andling concrete binding cable passing under the said pulpipe sections, a grip ing band comprisin an leys as a continuation of the gripping band arc-shaped strip 0 metal having pul ieys movement of the hoisting device will cause the cable to bind the ripping band into firm frictional engagement with the pipe section.

2. In an apparatus for handling concrete the combination with a horiarranged lifting beam, means for raising and lowering the same, an arc-shaped gripping band adapted to encircle more than half the circumference of the pipe section, pulleys carried by the ends of the gripping and, and a binding cable passing under said pulleys as a continuation of whereby upward the grip- 

